WHL Everett Silvertips

Silvertips Top Portland 3-1 before Big Crowd

Published on October 4, 2015 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Everett Silvertips News Release


PORTLAND - Noah Juulsen scored the eventual game-winning goal in his regular season debut, while Devon Skoleski buried the first two goals of his WHL career and Carter Hart made 34 saves to lift the Everett Silvertips to a 3-1 victory over the host Portland Winterhawks, before a crowd of 9,581 at Moda Center on Saturday.

Everett (2-1-0-0, 4 points), sending the Winterhawks to their third straight loss to start the season, spoiled their home opener with three unanswered goals while Jake Christiansen and Sean Mallonee, each playing in just their second game of their career, gathered their first WHL points.

But after a lengthy pregame ceremony, the Winterhawks energized their home crowd on Rodrigo Abols' first career WHL goal at 5:33 of the first period, forcing a turnover in the Silvertips zone and following up with a wrist shot under the crossbar.

Just 2:27 later, Skoleski answered for a 1-1 tie. The rookie forward pounced on a loose puck at the right circle after Christiansen's shot was blocked, and fooled Adin Hill with a backhander over the glove.

Hart stopped 11 shots each in the first two periods and preserved the tie late into the second period, setting up Juulsen's goal in his season debut after returning from Montreal's training camp. Remi Laurencelle won an offensive zone face-off at the left circle, drawing the puck back to Juulsen's tape. The Canadiens prospect rocketed a slap shot past Hill with 2:51 to play in the second period for a 2-1 lead.

The Silvertips followed up by keeping Portland's attack to the perimeter and responded after an apparent Cole MacDonald goal was disallowed during a delayed penalty. MacDonald, on the ensuing power play, fed Skoleski at the right circle who followed with a snap shot under the crossbar on Hill at 5:11 of the third period for a 3-1 lead.

Portland earned a late power play in the game and man-power advantage by pulling Hill for an extra skater, but never mounted a serious threat at the net.

Hill, making his season debut, took the loss with 24 saves.

NOTES: The Silvertips scratched Tristen Pfeifer, Alexander Scherbakov, Brian King, Yan Khomenko and Austin Lotz ... Portland outshot the Silvertips, 35-27 ... Paul Bittner, Portland's returning leading scorer and second round draftee of the Columbus Blue Jackets, was held scoreless and dropped the gloves with Lukas Skrumeda after Bittner delivered a hit at center ice ... the meeting was the first of ten between the teams this season and the first since last year's postseason series.

SILVERTIPS LINES?

Leedahl - Laurencelle - Stadnyk

Bajkov - Fonteyne - Millar

Ralph - Skoleski - Mallonee

Dewar - Sutter - Gerth

?

SILVERTIPS PAIRINGS

Skrumeda - Juulsen

Christiansen - MacDonald

Dwyer - Davis

BOX SCORE

The Silvertips enter a six-day layoff and return to play Saturday, Oct. 10 for Opening Night's "Fill the House" promotion at XFINITY Arena, hosting the Spokane Chiefs at 7:05 p.m. (FOX Sports 1380/WHL Live). Silvertips radio voice Mike Benton will handle coverage 30 minutes prior to opening face-off with the Silvertips pregame show, presented by Everett Bone and Joint.

Check out the Everett Silvertips Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from October 4, 2015


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